Chennai: Wi-Fi on MTC’s select AC services soon

The Hindu

Chennai, Sep 11, 2014: Commuters travelling on Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses on Rajiv Gandhi Salai can soon get connected to the Internet through their smart phones and tablets, thanks to the wireless connectivity planned by the corporation.

 

The MTC plans to launch Wi-Fi service on some of its select AC services on the stretch – the city’s information technology corridor. “Now there is Wi-Fi everywhere and people complete their business transactions while on the move. Hence, we do not want to lag behind,” a senior Transport Department official said.

 

 

The MTC’s plan is aimed at increasing patronage from employees of the software firms along Rajiv Gandhi Salai. “Some of the commuters told us that they needed uninterrupted access to the Internet as they did a lot of their office work while travelling in buses,” the official said.

 

However, this is part of the MTC’s bigger plan to increase revenue from their current fleet of 100 AC buses which was not generating revenue on the expected lines.

 

“The AC buses were operated all over the city initially. But, they were packed only during rush hour,” the official said, adding that a number of AC services on other routes were cut and diverted to connect the IT corridor.

 

The MTC conducted a study last year to solve the issue and found that patronage was more on the routes connecting the IT corridor. Employees from the IT companies were travelling in a group and majority of them preferred share–autorickshaws to non-AC buses. “We now see an increasing patronage for the AC buses and earnings from these services are on the rise,” the official added. “The AC buses are very comfortable, free from dust and the milling crowd. Besides, I am able to work on my laptop since it is not crowded,” said R. Soumya, a software executive.